Ferreira

Founded in 1751, Ferreira is the only Port house to have stayed in Portuguese hands since its inception. The house remains a firm favourite with port lovers in the domestic market and globally, defined by its historic reputation for unrivalled quality. Today, award-winning fortified winemaker Luís Sottomayor continues Ferreira’s legacy, making critically acclaimed Ports that rank among Portugal’s greatest wines.

Luís Sottomayor may be the modern hero of Ferreira, but it was under the tutelage of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, one of the formidable widows of the world of wine, that the house’s historic reputation was cemented. Dona Antónia was ahead of her time, developing viticulture in the Douro Superior and maintaining the house’s impressive holding of older wine stocks. She also recognised the importance of vineyard ownership to guarantee quality in a period when most Port houses bought bulk wine from farmers. By her death in 1896, Ferreira had become the largest Douro landowner with numerous illustrious Quintas to her name, including Quinta do Vesúvio, Quinta de Vargellas and Quinta do Vale Meão.

Today, Ferreira's flagship vineyard is the 27-hectare Quinta do Porto. Planted in 1771 and acquired by Dona Antónia in 1863, the vineyard is located on the north bank of the Douro, downstream from the village of Pinhão and facing Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo on the south bank. The combination of this warmer mesoclimate, due to the south/south-west exposure of the terraced vineyards, and proximity to the river, creates Ports characterised by an exuberant ripeness and exceptional concentration, alongside excellent balance. Old-vine parcels, described by winemaker Luís Sottomayor as “over retirement age”, produce low yields of intensely flavoured grapes and form the backbone of many of the top Ports in the Ferreira range. The entire Quinta is dry farmed using sustainable practices and harvesting is carried out by hand.